EXPLORER

Real Name: Zamanathan Rambunazeth

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unknown)

Occupation: Explorer

Group Membership: Elders of the Universe (Architect, Astronomer, Caregiver, Champion, Collector, Contemplator, Father Time, Gardener, Grand Astrogater, Grandmaster, Judicator, Obliterator, Possessor, Runner, Trader, others)

Affiliations: Unidentified champion

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None (Elders often refer to each other as brothers, although no actual relation exists)

Aliases: Trailblazer into the Unknown

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the universe, as well as inter-dimensionally

First Appearance: Quasar#47 (June, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: As an Elder of the Universe, the Explorer is naturally immortal, meaning he is immune to aging and conventional disease. He is apparently able to survive and navigate in the vacuum of space without assistance. He also possesses the ability to teleport. As he has dedicated his entire existence to the exploration of new phenomena, he may possess abilities to travel and examine matter and energy that are as yet unrevealed. He likely possesses vast knowledge from his millennia of exploration. His physical abilities are undefined.

He likely possesses an array of weaponry to assist him in his exploration. The Explorer seeks to investigate the unknown. The search and investigation are more important to him than the actual finding and the answers. Once a phenomenon has been examined by himself or others, he loses interest in it.

History: The Explorer is one of the Elders of the Universe, a group of ancient beings who are apparently the sole survivors or their own, long-dead races. He has used his lifetime of perhaps thousands to millions of years to develop his abilities to explore new phenomena. His past exploits are largely unrevealed.

(Quasar#47)- The Explorer was first observed in an encounter with several other Elders, where each was contending for possession an unnamed cosmic fetus, which had been in the care of Caregiver. These other Elders included Obliterator, Possessor, as well as the Contemplator imposter, and each made their case to another Elder, the Judicator for the right to claim the fetus as their own.

(Quasar#48)- The fetus was actually the new form of the cosmic entity known as Origin. The Earth superhero, Quasar traveled to Origin in search of his Quantum Bands, which had come into its possession after he was temporarily nullified by the Ultimate Nullifier. As soon as Quasar revealed he knew the fetus, the Explorer lost interest in it, and he teleported away soon after.

SECRET WARS HAPPENED

(Contest of Champions III#6 (fb) - BTS) - Following the defeat of God Doom and the subsequent omniversal reconstruction, Explorer and the other Elders of the Universe became aware of Battlerealm, the former, broken "Secret Wars" reality at the edge of spacetime.

(Contest of Champions III#6 (fb) ) - The Elders traveled to Battlerealm and visited the husk of the old Battleworld where they still sensed an immense source of power waiting to be claimed (the recently formed ISO-8). All the Elders immediately lusted after it, ready to follow the path of their individual obsessions to claim it. Explorer realized there were riches to be claimed on this world. They all agreed to the Grandmaster's proposal of deciding through a contest of champions. All twelve of them would get to pick a champion from the new multiverse to fight in their stead, with Grandmaster already selecting Maestro (Bruce Banner) who they found alive and defiant in the ruins of Battleworld.

(Contest of Champions III#6 (fb) - BTS) - Explorer picked a champion, who lost in the battle at Arcade's Killiseum.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald and Andy Smith.

Contest of Champions update by Norvo & Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Explorer should not be confused with:

• unidentified exlorer from the Baloneyverse @ Sensational She-Hulk I#13
• any other explorer or character with a similar name

images (without ads)
Quasar#47, p14, pan5 (main)
Quasar#47, p15, pan2 (head shot)
Quasar#47, p15, pan1 (2nd full body)
Contest of Champions III#6, p2, pan2 (post-Secret Wars III head-shot)

Appearances:
Quasar#47-48 (June-July, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Andy Smith (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Contest of Champions III#6 (May, 2016) - Al Ewing (writer), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Chris Robinson & Mark Paniccia (editors)